Main

When: May 25, 2021г., 12.00 am

Duration: 1,0 hour

Where: online, MS Teams

Recommended for: doctoral students and academic staff

Working language: Russian

Participation: registration required.  

 

About

This scientific seminar will address conceptual and practical issues related to the expansion of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in retail as an integral part of the policy of sustainable development of the chain while respecting its commercial interests. Achieving such a tradeoff seems possible in the process of creating long-term relationships with consumers, focused on explaining the importance of a retail chain's CSR measures and maximizing the share of eco-products in its assortment of food stuff. An example of such a retailer is the chain VkusVill, where about 95% of its food stuff assortment are presented by eco-products under VkusVill private label (STM) , which is factually a sustainability mono-brand. The particular attention has been paid to identifying the connection between CSR activities and maintaining the organic nature of eco-products (in fact, the result of the VkusVill sustainable development policy) with such a key factor that forms consumer loyalty as brand trust. The author's research model for assessing the impact of CSR events of the chain VkusVill (including strict control over the organic nature of the food products sold) on the trust in the chain VkusVill has been presented, where the said trust is transformed into a trust in the private label VkusVill and then, as a result, the consumer loyalty to the private label VkusVill takes place that is perceived (in many cases, unconsciously) as a sustainability brand is emerged. In addition to the commercial results of the VkusVill’s sustainability branding verified empirically  in the present study – namely, “willingness to pay more for eco-products under the private label VkusVill“ and "readiness to recommend the chain VkusVill”-  an occurrence has been hypothesized about arising a new culture of sustainable consumption  that is to a certain extent confirmed by intensive online activities of the emerging brand community VkusVil. However, within the framework of this study, this is formulated as a hypothesis requiring further empirical verification. 

  

About speaker

Sergey A.Starov
Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor at the Department of Marketing, GSOM, Saint Petersburg State University

 

Ekaterina A.Nazarenko

2-year MIM student, GSOM, Saint Petersburg State University

 

Any questions?

 

Yulia A. Semenova

GSOM SPbU Research Support Department

Tel.: +7 (812) 323 84 53

 E-mail: y.a.semenova@gsom.spbu.ru